Without a Thought
by The Red Strings
Summary: Throughout her whole life, Caroline knew that she was always second best when it came to Elena, so why did it bother her when she felt so inferior to Hermione, who was nothing but plain? For the life of her, Caroline couldn't understand why Klaus brought her here, and no, she wasn't jealous. Why would Caroline be jealous of someone so imperfect? -Hints of Klaroline-&-Without Fault-


**Hello dear readers!  
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**This is just a small piece to accompany _Without Fault_, and I've written it from Caroline's perspective so some might have to read the other in order to understand this. This is pretty short, and I just wrote it to help me write my other stories, especially _A Sense of Awakening_, and to anyone of you who follow that story, I am still working on it.  
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**I have not given up!  
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**It's just taking a bit of time since I really don't know where to go with it, I have at least five different versions of the eleventh chapter, and none of them have satisfied me.  
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**Anyways, again, this is story was to help me get my groove back for my other stories. _Without Fault_ is coming together nicely, so the third chapter will be up soon. Hopefully I've written Caroline's character without making her seem out of character.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own either series, _Harry Potter_ or _The Vampire Diaries._  
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**.: Without a Thought:.**

Elena.

The name meant everything and nothing to her. It was what defined her beginning and end; it was what _defined_ her existence in the life of this small, quaint town of Mystic Falls. It was if the name's definition was _to make one feel inferior to._

And Caroline definitely was inferior to Elena.

She was always second best to the dark-haired beauty that made everyone love her with her innocent, doe-like eyes and her infinitely long lashes. Elena was the _compassionate_ one, the selfless girl, the one that everyone wanted to be friends with, but _she_, Caroline, was the girl that was in her best friend's shadow.

No one had ever gone to her for sincere advice and a shoulder to cry on. No, all she was good for was gossip and distractions that reflected her _shallow_ nature, but it wasn't like she **truly** shallow. No, that's what everyone made her out to be, and you can only wear the mask for so long before actually becoming the mask itself.

_"What a pretty girl."_

Her mom would **used** to say those words with a proud smile.

When Caroline was just a young and idealistic little girl in grade school, she enjoyed wearing frilly dresses and having her hair made up into cute styles with an endless supply of fruity hair accessories. Elena wore dresses, too, since that's what pretty girls did, right? Even back then, the two competed against each other on being the _cutest_ in class. The only difference why people liked Elena more was because she wasn't hesitant to _play_.

Caroline, on the other hand, always wore her shiny black Mary-Janes, always clean and paired with white princess socks, and because of that, she never wanted to get dirty. Her mother wasn't filthy rich or had a nice solid income like Elena's parents, so of course she would always take care of her shoes and her clothes to the best of her abilities.

Just because her family was broken and her mother always worked late doesn't mean she had to show it, and so she covered all the cracks and errors of her life with pretty things and a smile. Caroline didn't want anyone's pity, and she certainly did not want to become something less of what she was then when compared to Elena.

As a result, that was the beginning of her _'shallow'_ personality.

Ever since grade school, she was determined to become head cheerleader. She guilt-tripped her father to pay for her gymnastic lessons and cheerleading fees, and Caroline became so absorbed in the world of popularity and sparkles that she started to truly _become_ shallow and selfish. Of course, her mother would prefer the selfless and nice Elena any day than her own self-absorbed daughter

When Caroline hit puberty, her mother began to favor Elena more so than her own daughter. Her mother would always go on and on about _how Elena's so nice, Elena is becoming a well-rounded young lady, _ and blah-de-blah-blah, but never did her mother express the same level of enthusiasm about her own child. Caroline's new attitude didn't help the whole situation either, and eventually, she and her mother became so distant to each other that they virtually became two strangers living under the same roof and have the same blood.

At least her _Daddy_ preferred her over the Elena.

_"You have the spine of a Forbes, Caroline, and people mistake that as something negative."_

However, Caroline grew up with a mask of the American girl; blonde, peppy, intelligent, and had a knack for commanding other people to do her bidding for school events. She _became_ what people wanted,_ the fake, shallow bitch that cared only about herself_. Caroline was _the _Regina George of Mystic Falls, though, less conniving, vindictive, and cleverer.

She and Elena continued to battle each other for the title of Queen Bee, though, still maintaining that rocky friendship over the years. However, it wasn't strong and they weren't really close as many thought them to be. Like all the others, Bonnie favored Elena's company over hers since she was _too_ this and that.

Bonnie was always judge-y so it didn't surprise her when that particular trait amplified when the dark-haired girl found out about her magical heritage.

But Caroline was fine with that.

It wasn't like it hasn't happened before.

Though, after the death of Elena's parents, it seemed like the brunette got tired of their little feud and just gave up the _Title_ to Caroline. What she felt was vicious satisfaction, and despite the fact Elena changed because of losing her parents, Caroline _finally_ felt like she wasn't second best. It was a terrible of her to feel this way, but after a life of being in someone else's shadow, shouldn't she at least get a break?

However, victorious moments such as this were always fleeting.

Caroline was then reminded constantly of her own place in life. Matt didn't love her, _no_, he had always loved and _still_ probably love Elena. Stefan was clearly interested in her best friend right off the bat, and when she went after the _other_ Salvatore brother, it ended up as some cruel joke.

_Of course_, Damon wanted Elena, too.

Like all the other long list of guys who succumbed to the doppelganger charm. Caroline was _used _and **abused** by Damon, serving both purposes of being a bed warmer and a human blood bag, without even **_knowing_ **what was going on. Of course, Elena had warned her about Damon, but the superficial Caroline inside had won over and decided to ignore her.

It was only in her death did she realize what he had done to her, and the memories were painful and devastating. Caroline was infuriated by what Damon had done to her, and she still is. No one has even chastised Damon for taking an occasional bite or two out of her, _no one_. It was if they thought that she **deserved** such treatment, and Caroline did not know which hurt more: the fact that she was _stupid_ enough to think that Damon would actually treat her right or that her friends didn't really stick up for her.

Then there was her trying to cope with how she died.

Out of all the ways to die, she was smothered by something fluffy and harmless, and when she woke up from her temporary ending, she felt _indignant._ Like _come on _really, she didn't even die a noble and dramatic death! Caroline was merely a means to an end, however, it was her ultimate demise as a human that released her from her immaturity.

Katherine was a cruel vindictive bitch, but at least she was honest about her intentions when it came to the Salvatore brothers and Elena.

_Play, play, play_.

It was after her first feeding that everything settled into place. The pain of losing her humanity was great, and it seemed like the depression she had once felt during middle school came back with a vengeance. Stefan was right about her feelings being amplified as a vampire. Anger became blind rage, hunger changed into starvation, and love transformed into a sick fixation, and these emotions that swirled inside her were the calm before a terrible and devastating storm. She always waited for the day where she would truly break.

Caroline had her whole life mapped out, and becoming a vampire was certainly not one of them. She had planned to graduate high school with honors and move to a city filled with glamour and endless possibilities. Caroline had everything worked out, every minuscule detail that would eventually lead up to her ultimate goal: becoming part of something huge and moving.

She wanted to become a trophy wife of a famous athlete or politician, and having two or three kids would finally make her _perfect and complete. _Caroline planned to have two dogs, preferably cute Westies, and perhaps even an odd pet for her odd middle child. That's what she planned, that's what _she wanted_.

Everything changed, however, when she _changed_ into a bloodsucking monster. Her rocky relationship with her mother became even more strained, Bonnie seemed to hate her guts to a whole new level, and well, it ruined her chances in getting back together with Matt. Even though that all of these things broke another piece of her heart away, what _truly_ devastated her was her dad's outright refusal to love her any longer.

Her own Daddy hated her, and that's what truly saddened Caroline. Her mother had given up on her a long time ago, but at least her mother still loved her somewhere deep inside her brittle heart. The man that loved his daughter no matter what -except as walking blood-sucking corpse-was gone because her heart beat was simply missing. Caroline never wanted to become a vampire, she never wanted to end up like _this_.

Everything changed, and she had changed, for better or worse.

Caroline became kinder, deeper, and perhaps even _wiser._

Maybe it was because every emotion she felt was intensified, therefore, her desire to _actually_ change made an impact on her growing up. Caroline needed to change since all her plans and priorities in life were so screwed up with this whole vampire business, and she needed something tangible, something _real_ for herself.

Caroline wanted to actually _laugh_, not some fake giggle, not another painful smile, _no_, she couldn't remain being the same old Caroline. To remain as that same insecure, neurotic, control freak would be pathetic of her, and it would even further mess up her plans of becoming **perfect**.

She didn't want her plans to be completely broken and scattered just because of one mean, manipulative vampire bitch who loved to toy with people's lives.

Though, it seemed all odd to Caroline, how all these guys, well, _undead_ guys who are completely infatuated with Elena were also the very same guys who also fell under the spell of Katerina's charms. Katherine, or whatever she liked to be called these days.

The only guy that wasn't completely smitten by Elena's charms was probably Tyler, and Caroline could honestly say she did love him. Though, then again, she loved the others as well, the people who preferred her best friend over her.

Hell, she still cared deeply about half of them, and yet she didn't know why when they all thought of her as a _speck _of dust when she stood next to her best friend. They would do anything for Elena and **nothing** for her.

Caroline was meant absolutely nothing to them.

Then _he_ came along.

Of course, at the beginning, he intended to use her as some sacrifice for some freaky witchy ritual. _Collateral_ _damage_, he had once said, and even though she was livid about that detail, and well, about _everything_, really, at least he was honest. Klaus was an _honest_ and brutal man - no, **_monster_**- but something about his harsh words made her feel…like she was able to breathe.

Though, then again, his obsession revolved around _Elena, _but not in the way one would think. Klaus was a horrible man with an impenetrable wall around him who loved his family to the _extreme_. She didn't know if that daggering his family in order to keep them safe made him noble or even more monstrous and paranoid.

At first she hated him. He was the one who, after all, killed Jenna, and she _loved_ Jenna. She was the cooler older sister that she never had, and she was one of the few people who didn't idolize Elena as some statue of perfection. Also, not to mention he was the main reason everything between her and Tyler became a terrible,_ red_ mess.

So Caroline was happy to hate him and continuing on hating him and that hatred never died even when she was so close to seeing actual Heaven on her eighteenth birthday. Though, even in her eternal damnation, she could not let go life just yet, even in her rightful hatred for the cruel Original.

However, Klaus surprised her and kept on surprising her. He showed her something more than just some monster, perhaps something even a _little_ human. Klaus fed her his blood with something akin to tenderness, and even through the hazy thoughts, she knew that he didn't do this often. He wouldn't feed somebody, a _stranger_, straight from his wrist, allowing them to dig their fangs into his skin, **no**, Klaus usually didn't do that.

So why did he?

She never understood why he did, and in the morning, it felt like dream, a foggy memory. The only thing that made her know that it was actually real was a crazy expensive-looking bracelet that he had left for her as a _birthday present_. Caroline didn't know whether to be insulted or excited by his gift.

_It was so pretty_, her shallow side had emerged that one morning, bubbly and excited to try it on, but Caroline refused to return to that _shallow_ _kiddy pool_.

But then he kept pursuing her with romantic drawings, and he even sent her a _lovely dress_ to his family ball. Caroline felt like a princess that night, Cinderella more specifically, with the blue dress and gloves. The bracelet didn't feel heavy with guilt as it was wrapped around her small wrists that night. For once, Caroline felt _truly_ pretty, and it was not because Klaus told her that she was and that he _fancied_ her.

He didn't have enough tact to tell her, and it always cracked her up whenever she thought about it.

It could have been a whirlwind romance if the circumstances were different. Caroline could have fallen hopelessly in love with Klaus if they were in a world where vampires didn't exist, and if they were both different people. You know, him not being a total serial killer with paranoia issues and her being a neurotic, control freak and all. It could have happened, but it didn't.

_It couldn't._

Whatever that was going on between them couldn't happen_, never_ will it happen. It wasn't love, Caroline was sure of that, but it was something electric and it had a lot of potential. It could have been love **easily**, but that would only be true if she magically forgot everything he had done to disrupt their lives in Mystic Falls and he immediately became a good guy. Although, that could never happen, she couldn't make herself compromise and she knew Klaus wouldn't either.

The Original Hybrid was already deep in Devil's water, and someone young and naïve as her could never bring him to the lighter side of things in his life. They were too different, they clashed too much, and they had different dreams and ambitions, and perhaps that's why everything was so…so _unexplainable_ between them.

So of course Damon would want to _use_ her because she could help them _kill_ Klaus.

Caroline wasn't anything but a tool and sometimes friend to the Salvatores and even maybe Elena. Sweet, selfless Elena, always having other people fights her battles for her, and for once, Caroline agreed without arguing. She didn't know why, it wasn't like Damon and Stefan could find another way without risking her life, but then again, her life meant nothing to them.

She was **nothing** when it came to Elena.

So they plot and plot, pondering and searching for ways to permanently end Klaus's life when his mother's spell failed, and _finally_ they found it. They planned carefully, waiting and waiting, and then Klaus just **had **to kidnap Elena_, which totally ruined all the time and planning had spent._ So they worked in a frenzy to kill him, _dessicate _him. It almost worked, _almost_ but Rebekah decided to turn against them and saved her brother.

_Family_.

The Originals always said that despite everything, they were still a _family_. They always said it as if it was their mantra, their prayer, their _meaning_ to their whole **life **really, and maybe it was. You don't have much to live for when you have lived a thousand years, aged as a weathered page but forever young.

Caroline was terrified of one day waking up and realizing that there was _nothing_ for her in this world anymore. Perhaps that's why Rebekah betrayed them; maybe it was that _fear_ of having nothing and being forever alone was what made her save her brother. Better to be with your psychotic brother than to be eternally lonely, Caroline would say, but she stayed silent when everybody became frustrated.

She remained quiet even when Damon blamed her for their failure.

She said nothing when everyone ran to Elena's side, coddling her as if she was some child.

Caroline just stayed alone, and when the days turned into weeks, she knew that Klaus had left town. Though, that didn't mean the other Originals weren't there, no, they were still in town, and still wrecking havoc among the locals. Rebekah enjoyed _enjoying_ Damon, and their somewhat twisted fuck buddy relationship.

Though, it should be labeled as _fucking the enemy_, really.

Damon was such a hypocrite.

As for the other Original, Kol, well, he was still a skirt chaser, and in her mind, he was harmless compared to his older brothers. Elijah was a terrifying man, and she was glad that he disappeared as well to wherever. Perhaps he went with his brother, and for some odd reason, whenever Caroline thought about Klaus, she would experience this particular _emptiness_ inside of her.

It didn't ache nor was it unbearably noticeable when compared to her heartache whenever she thought about Tyler, but she couldn't help but to associate Klaus with their brief _courtship,_ as he liked to call it. It was nice to have someone to try and woo you, and again, the same shallow Caroline was resurfacing once more.

She just wanted somebody to want her and _not_ Elena.

But didn't she have that already? She had Tyler so why did she feel so sad by Klaus's sudden departure? It was awful of her to think of the Original Hybrid when her hands were intertwined with her boyfriend's. Caroline was happy but still somewhat insecure, thinking that one day Tyler would leave her to join the long line of suitors for Elena.

Caroline could never be completely and secure in her own skin.

So the months passed by with no Klaus in sight, which made everyone feel edgy and snappish, and they were all expecting the worse. Damon expected Klaus to come back and burn the whole town to the ground, and Caroline couldn't help but to somewhat agree with him. But everything changed _again_ when Elijah came back without his brother.

He simply told them, well, _Elena_ that his brother was preoccupied with a new pet they had adopted; therefore, Klaus would be too busy trying to ruin their lives. But for **how** long will he be preoccupied? Klaus wasn't like some child who was easily amused, even though he did acted like one at times, and Caroline couldn't help but to laugh at the ridiculous news.

A pet for the Original family, **_really_**?

They all expected Klaus to come home with a ridiculous pet, something cute and fluffy that no doubt Stefan wanted to sink his teeth into, Damon's words not hers. What they all _didn't_ expect was him to come home with a _human_ girl, a witch no less. Apparently, she was **different** according to Bonnie.

"_She has a different energy_,_ it's like my magic…but it feels as if it's hidden behind something._"

Caroline expected someone who was dark-hearted with a pretty face to cover up the ugliness inside, or it was what she had **hoped** for. But no, when she saw _her_ for the first time – it was at the Mystic Grill, of course-, it was safe to say that she was absolutely **surprised. **

Her name was _Hermione_ –did everyone had such long and old names in Britain?- and it was safe to say that Caroline wasn't the only one who was shocked by her appearance.

At first glance, one would say that the girl was _plain_ with her big curls and seemingly boring brown eyes, but towards the end of their little pow-wow, Caroline's opinion of her changed. Their initial meeting wasn't the greatest, no thanks to her mouth and Damon's _charming_ personality, and her words had shocked them all, especially Bonnie.

She searched and searched through all of her books and came up with nothing. Caroline knew that Bonnie's stress was coming from the threat the new girl posed, but she also thought that the witch felt _threatened_ by the girl's unknown power. To be honest, Caroline always thought that Bonnie was in a little over her head ever since she became stronger, always bossy and judging everyone _just_ because she was a servant of nature.

So what?

Well, at least now she knew the feeling of someone stealing her thunder.

There were times when she and the new witch would run into each other, and while Hermione was never intentionally rude to her but also never attempted to say hello. Though, Caroline's gaze would always linger, and she would wonder why Klaus had taken her under his wing. She wasn't an outstanding beauty that's for sure, but the more Caroline searched for something wrong about her, the less **plain** Hermione looked.

Caroline would often see her in the library or the bookstore, and she was stealthy enough to study her. It wasn't exactly _stalking_, more like observing one's enemy, though, something inside her told that she saw the curly-haired girl as a personal threat. She had noticed that Hermione was the brainy type, especially with all those heavy books she always checked out.

Her hair wasn't ridiculous as she first thought it was, but then again Caroline thought it was the result of a teasing comb, curling iron, and tons of hairspray. It was certainly big and curly, but it had a certain charm that reminded her of a woodland faerie, especially the way her face looked soft and round, and then sometimes Caroline would feel her stomach tighten with a sick feeling.

The same emotion she had always felt when it came to _Elena_.

But she simply ignored it, not wanting to admit that someone so plain –who wasn't really at all- had caught the attention of the hybrid. It wasn't like Caroline liked Klaus, but she certainly did like his attention that he spent on her. He made her feel special the same way Tyler did, and perhaps she just wanted to have the attention of two guys at once. It was terrible of her but old habits were hard to die.

With that in mind, it was reasonable for Caroline to become somewhat obsessed with her latest competition.

Why? Well, simply because all the romantic sketches and random visits were becoming less and less, and sometimes spaced-out in between. Consequently, the green-eyed monster that was currently living within her had grown another ugly head. Great, another girl that Caroline had to compare herself to.

Those seemingly brown eyes became pools of honey framed with unusually thick lashes, and Hermione's horrible attitude became funny to listen to whenever she was telling off a guy or two. Okay so Caroline was a bit of a stalker, but at least it made her feel less creepy when Damon told her to keep an eye on the English witch.

Then there was an odd day where Hermione ran into her, a day where the baby vampire _wasn't_ trailing her, and the witch invited Caroline to eat lunch with her.

It was strange the way Hermione acted so nice to her, especially considering the circumstances and all, but today she looked tired and even a little bit weary. They sat and had their lunch in a small corner café, and for some odd reason, Caroline felt at ease in the witch's presence, a terrible thing to do really.

However, she couldn't help it, not when Hermione turned out to be sweet and fun to talk to. She and Caroline were certainly two different people from very different worlds but it seemed like they were cut from the same fabric, or what it seemed to Caroline. Of course she was still jealous – _envious- _of Hermione, and no doubt the girl felt the same way, but they had this odd thing between them.

It was something akin to friendship but then again it wasn't.

Perhaps it was just how the weather was affecting Caroline that day.

"No doubt your witch friend absolutely detests me," Hermione smiled behind her drink, "I know she's been searching for answers and all. I'm surprised she hasn't figured it out."

"Oh yeah, about that, you are a witch, right? She says your magic feels…same but somewhat different?" Caroline titled her head to the side, her face twisted with curiosity.

Hermione chuckled.

"It's how our magic evolved and branched off. I have this, _ah_, protective layering, and while I do use earth magic, I mainly use core magic. Meaning my _own_ so of course it will be different when compared to hers. She has more success in casting spells but I don't doubt that she also suffers some damage, am I correct?" Caroline nodded in affirmation. "I could go on and on about magic and our differences, but I will simply bore you with the details."

She certainly would.

It was only a few seconds too late for Caroline to realize that she had said her thought out loud. Why couldn't she ever keep her mouth shut? No doubt the curly-haired witch now was offended by her careless words. Caroline always messed things up, even when she simply tried to be nice.

She had expected Hermione to storm off with an angry expression, but she _certainly_ did not expect Hermione laughed loudly, throwing her head back in such a carefree manner.

"You are nice to talk to, Caroline, and I like your company." Hermione grinned.

"Why are you being so nice to be me _now_?" Caroline blurted out, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment. She certainly did not mean to look like an idiotic cheerleader in front of the brainy witch. It made her insecure and inferior only because Caroline **knew** that Hermione was brilliantly smart.

Caroline was clever, but she wasn't a _genius_.

"Well, you have been following me for the past three weeks or so," Hermione replied with an amused smile, "And I know that you aren't the typical blonde imbecile cheerleader that everyone makes you out to be. If you were, Klaus wouldn't be so interested in you."

The blonde visibly flinched at the mention of the Original, but Hermione's face did not indicate that she had noticed but then again she could have just simply ignored it in favor of avoiding an awkward situation. Caroline released a soft sigh, resting her head on the back of her hand, not caring if her elbow was on the table.

As if she cared about manners now when she has been caught red-handed in stalking the English witch, and so Caroline gave her the privilege of not giving a damn at the moment.

"He's a bit slow with the latest gifts and all." Caroline said coolly.

Hermione only gave her a soft hum.

"I've learned a lot about you, Caroline, and not just from Klaus's horrible rants about you but from observing you observing me, which is no doubt Salvatore's idea?" Hermione raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her.

"Damon's a bit paranoid." And it seemed that the blonde's answer amused her.

"Well, anyway, I've learned about the whole bit with you and that doppelganger. Klaus told me about what he was expecting from you, well, you know prior to the sacrifice and all. He is quite chatty when he is drunk. He sings like a canary," Hermione lilted, "And you seem a bit sad."

"Well, can't be exactly happy when you're dead and all, you know?" Caroline's voice was dripping with sarcasm, but the curly-haired girl did not take offence. Where was this whole conversation going?

"I've seen your thoughts once, Caroline. I know about your whole issue with Elena."

Caroline stiffened.

_Yeah, Caroline, remember that this girl has already seen your thoughts once?_

And before the baby vampire could even start on a five minute rant on minding her own **damn** business, Hermione already beat her to the punch.

"No, I haven't entered your mind ever since then. It was wrong of me, but you all caught me in a bad mood and the Bennett witch kept trying to give me an aneurysm or something," she gave her a sardonic grin that reminded her of Klaus, "But I really want to talk about you and your thoughts."

Caroline huffed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Fine! What do you want to tell me?" She snapped, her leg already shaking with not only annoyance but anticipation.

Great, there she goes again, making herself seem like a bitch and ruining her chances of having a friend.

Hermione gave her a small reassuring smile, leaning back into her seat. Even when she didn't wear a lot of make-up and did nothing to her hair, Caroline couldn't help but to feel a twinge of jealousy. Hermione was no seductress but she was alluring with her subtle beauty and her ability to _not_ completely care about her appearance. It was her effortless that made her seem to appealing to all the guys in this town, and Caroline knew she could ever be that.

Caroline could never be as witty as Hermione, she could never be an effortless girl like her because she was a high-maintenance _bitch_, and most of all, this baby vampire was _nothing_ but simply a shallow pond when compared to this **_deep and meaningful_** woman. It was like being compared to Elena all over again but only this time, to someone who wasn't **_perfect_**, and Caroline didn't know how to deal with that because all this time she had tried to be so damn flawless.

"You could be happy, you know," Hermione said slowly with a small sigh, "If you could just stop for once and think about how _great_ you are and not compare yourself to somebody else."

And then it was like every string had snapped and curled up inside of her.

"_Have you been in my mind_?" Caroline cried out, feeling the anxiety grabbing hold of her. How did she know? What **did** she know about her? It wasn't like Hermione had anything to worry about since she was a damn genius and pretty and had an actual spine, plus, she wasn't a shallow bitch like her.

So what did she know?

"**No**, Caroline. I'm just telling you that you will be a lot happier when you realize that people have their own fatal flaws, and that you, yourself, are a great girl who has offered everyone she loves a piece of her heart. So for once, stop comparing yourself to other people. Nothing can be measured between two people." Hermione told her with a soft and encouraging smile.

Caroline just wanted to curl up and cry herself silly at that moment.

Without a thought, this girl –this _stranger-_ gave her kindness when she didn't deserve it. Caroline had disliked this girl, which then would quickly transform into admiration and then back to the initial bitter feelings all because of her petty feelings and some idiotic psycho killer. Why was Hermione being so nice to her when she didn't give her a chance?

It was because she **never** gave anyone a chance without feeling extremely anxious and paranoid.

Without a thought, Caroline lived her whole entire human life without _giving_ herself a chance. She had lived every single day, comparing herself to Elena, obsessed with the idea of being perfect. They weren't the ones that stopped her from being _deep and meaningful_, it was her own fault.

It was she who created that mask of this shallow girl for herself.

Without one _single _**damn** thought, Caroline never allowed herself to be okay with not being exactly _okay_. She never thought about herself as just a separate person from Elena, she never stopped comparing, never stopped to try and be something else other than _content_. These people that she claimed to love weren't the ones who robbed her of a chance to happiness.

Caroline felt the tears threatening to spill.

Hermione threw a few bills onto the table, and with a raised eyebrow she gave the blonde an interesting look that was both amused and empathetic. It was as if she knew what the blonde vampire was going through, and perhaps she did. She turned away from her, not giving her any comfort, and it was as if she _knew_ that was what Caroline wanted, to be **strong** and to realize her mistakes.

And for a moment, it felt as though they were close friends rather than strangers and even perhaps enemies.

"Give it some thought, Caroline."

They rarely saw each other after that, even in this small town.

**_"Imperfection clings to a person  
,and if they wait till they are brushed off entirely,  
they would spin for ever on their axis, advancing nowhere."_**

**_-Thomas Carlyle-  
_**

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**_AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:  
_**

**Okay, I will admit that in order to really grasp understand the details of Hermione's and Klaus's relationship, some people might have to read _Without Fault_ for that, which I completely apologize for. This was meant to simply show Caroline's thoughts and feelings.  
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**Hopefully I portrayed her character well enough. I was really afraid of not capturing Caroline's character so writing a straight up Klaroline story has deterred me from it entirely, well, _at least for now_.  
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**This has helped me with my writer's block with my other stories, especially _A Sense of Awakening_ and the sequel to _The Sweetest Thing_.  
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**Also, I have a tumblr for any of you who would like to see any sneak peeks of future chapters of my others stories or possible _other_ stories(did that make sense?). You can go on my profile to find my tumblr link and all, as well as an explanation for the delays and such.  
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**Anyways, yay or nay?  
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**Have any interesting thoughts you would like to share?  
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**Then you can drop a review on letting me know!  
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**Thank you all for reading!  
**

**-The Red Strings-  
**


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